Hat making



Dec. 23,v 1930. F. M. BARTH-:TT E1- AL HAT MAKNG Filed March 5. 1930Patented Dec. 23, 1930 AI Jru'rno sr'ras r TENT ori-ics FRANK M.BARTLETT, OF READING, AND BENJAMIN F. HRTWELL, OIF WINCHESTER,

MASSACHUSETTS HAT MKING- Application filed March 5, 1930. Serial No.433,237.

the hat where Contact is made with the head.

The bands are usually made of leather, which is {inished on the outer orgrain side to resist the action of perspiration and oil. The bands aresewed to the inside of the hat near their lower edges, which liepractically flush with the brim. The sutures pass through the marginalportion of the crown, Where they are concealed by the usual band orribbon em-` ployed for ornamentation. Mens hats such as describedinvariably undergo discoloration or staining at the lowermarginalportions of the ornamental band or ribbon which is usually made ofsilkor other expensive fabric. In most cases, after only a comparativelyshort use of a hat, discoloration or staining of the ornamental band orribbon becomes so pronounced that the fastidious user is compelled todiscard the hat, even though it may be otherwise serviceab1e,'or toundergo the expense of equipping the hat with a new ornamental band orribbon.

7e have observed that the discoloration or staining of the ornamentalband is traceable to the perspiration and oil Working its way throughthe apertures formed in the sweatband and hat material by the needleused in the sewing operation. Such discoloration or staining is apt tobe particularly unsightly in the case of felt hats, wherein there ismore or less capillarity in the felt to augment the passage of thediscoloring agents to the ornamental band. In an attempt to overcomethis difficulty, a rubber-calendered taping is sometimes sewed to thelower edge of the sweatband, and this taping is stitched to the marginalportion of the crown. Aside from the fact that this expedient addsanother stitching operation, it is only a makeshift cure, sinceperspiration and oil find their way through the apertures formed in thesweat band, taping, and hat material to the ornamental band.

In accordance with the present invention, a more eective barrier isformed against the penetration of perspiration and oil to the ornamentalband. iIhis barrier is produced by applying rubber latex to the insideof the sweat-band at least over that zone or area where the sutures areto pass therethrough, and permitting the latex to dry or set before thestitching operation. After the aqueous content of the latex has driedout, it is found that a continuous film or membrane of rubber has beencoagulated on the band. The rubber thus deposited is characterized by anelasticity sutliciently marked so that after a needle and thread havebeen passed therethrough, it undergoes contraction against the threadbody to seal completely the aperture formed in the operation. Thetightness with which the rubber embraces the thread body is shown by thefact that light does not Dass through a sweat-band carrying a film ofrubber deposited from latex and through which sutures have been passed.

With the foregoing and other features and objects in view, the presentinvention will now be desoibed more specifically in con- Figure 6represents a greatly enlarged section on the line 6--6 of Figure 4:.

Figure 7 shows in perspective the shape wllilich the band assumes whenassembled with a at.

The sweat-band which is treated in accordance with the present inventionmay be of a type customarily employed in hat manu facture, and consistsof a strip of leather whichA has been cut to a length and curvature tofit nicely around the inside of a hat with its lower edge substantiallyflush with the inner edge of the brim. The outside of such a band is thegrain side, which may be sultably finished, as with a lacquer, toresistthe action of perspiration and oil. The 1ns1de, which isunfinished, is in a rough or napped condition. As shown in Figure 4, thelatex may be applied to the inside of such band a along a marginal zoneor area b, Where stitching of the band to the body or crown of the hatis to be effected. Any suitable applicator, such as a brush, may beused, 1t being preferable to apply two or more coats of latex in orderto ensure a continuous film of rubber. The latex is preferably permittedto dry out .between successive coatings, and the film of rubber iscompletely dried out, preferably in a Warm atmosphere, before assemblingthe band with the hat. The film of rubber deposited on the band adherestenaciously thereto by reason of the roughness or nap of the inside. Ifdesired, the latex may be applied over the entire inside of the band, asshown in Figure 5, in which case passage of perspiration and oil throughthe band over its entire surface is prevented, even when the leather byitself is so porous as to permit such passage. Owing to the nature ofthe film and the manner in which it is applied as above described, itbecomes directly incorporated with, or a part of the leather body ashereinafter defined in the claims integral therewith. The band is placedinside the hat, with the film of rubber carried thereby adjacent to theinside marginal portion of the crown c, as shown in Figures l, 2, and 3,whereupon it is sewed in place, the sutures s beingpassed through thelower marginal portion of the band carrying a film of rubber and thecrown portion immediately above the brim a?. The usual ornamental band emay then be tacked as usual to the hat, with its lower edge terminatingat the upper face of the brim so that the sutures s outside the crownare concealed thereby.

The latex which We employ may be the usual article of commerce, which ispreserved with suitable agents such as ammonia. and

has a solids content of about 30% to 35%, but

it may be more or less concentrated, depending upon the thickness ofcoating which it is desired to produce in a lsingle application and theease of application with the particular applicator employed. If desired,suitable fillers, pigments, or dyes may be added to the latex, and whentackiness in the rubber film is to be avoided, vulcanizing agents, suchas sulphur, may be added thereto, so that after the application anddrying out of the latex the rubber film may be more or less vulcanizedunder the application of heat. So-called vulcanized latices may beemployed to advantage, as in such case drying of the latex results in amore or less vulcanized rubber film which is non-tacky.

Lvsasav One of the major advantages of the present invention is that weare enabled to improve greatly the lasting qualities of the ornamentalbands of hats at an exceedingly low cost. The amount of latex used informing the rubber film on the band is so small as to be virtuallynegligible and its application and drying involves little labor cost andinexpensive instrumentalitics. While the latex may be applied at the hatfactory, nevertheless it is more practical that this be accomplished ata central point, as by a manufacturer of the bands who isin a positionto carry out large scale operation. The bands thus reach the hatmanufacturer in condition for assembly with the hats.

We claim:

l. As an article of manufacture, a sweatband designed for stitching tohats, the inside of said band carrying an integral film of rubbercoagulated from latex at least over the longitudinal zone Where saidband is to be stitched to the hat.

2. As an article of manufacture, a leather sweat-band designed forstitching to hats, the inside of said band being rough and carrying anintegral film of dried-out latex at least over the longitudinal zonewhere said band is to be stitched to the hat, said film beingcharacterized by sufficient elasticity to contract against a thread bodypassed therethrough.

3. A hat comprising a body, a sweat-band sewed to such body and theinside of which has an integral film of dried-out latex at least overthe longitudinal zone where the sutures pass therethrough, and anornamental band fixed to the body and concealing said sutures.

4. A method of making hats equipped with sweat-bands and ornamentalbands, which comprises applying liquid rubber latex to the inside of thesweat-band at least over the longitudinal zone Where it is to be sev/edto thehat, then drying out the latex, sewing the sweat-band to the hatwith the sutures passing through to the dried-out latex, and xing theornamental band in place to conceal the outside sutures.

5. As an article of manufacture, a sweatband designed for stitching tohats, the inl side of said band carrying over its entire surface anintegral layer of dried-out latex which is characterized by sufficientelasticity to contract against a thread body passed therethrough.

In testimony whereof we have afixed our signatures.

FRANK M. BARTLETT. BENJAMIN F. HARTWELL.

